


Delirium

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Gratsu [64]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, Love, M/M, Prompt: Delirium, Whumptober 2019, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-10-04
Packaged: 2020-11-23 19:55:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20895227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: “I…don’t know what’s going on,” Natsu admitted in a small voice, sounding just as confused before, but at least it was something that Gray could work with, especially as the Dragon-slayer leant into him, no longer trying to get away. 'Gray knows that there's something wrong with Natsu, now he just needs to get the idiot to admit to it.





	Delirium

Gray was worried.

Natsu had been acting…off since they’d come back from their last job. Or at least it felt that way to the Ice Mage, but no one else seemed to have noticed anything off about the Dragon-slayer, and there had been a couple of occasions when Gray had been about to say something to his boyfriend when Natsu would seem to snap back to his normal self. It had left Gray wondering if he was just imaging things and staying silent, but now he was second-guessing that as he glanced across at where Natsu was sat with Happy, waiting for him to return with their drinks. The Exceed seemed to be chatting away like normal, but Natsu wasn’t paying attention to anything, instead, his gaze seemed to be wandering around the guild without settling on anything.

“Is everything okay?” Mira asked, noticing his direction as she pushed the drinks across to him and Gray hesitated for a moment.

“Does Natsu seem off to you at the moment?”

“Natsu?” Mira glanced across at the Dragon-slayer with a slight frown. “He seemed a little distracted yesterday, I was trying to ask him about your last job, but he barely seemed to hear me, but apart from that, he’s been his usual self. Although, now that I think about it, he hasn’t started a single fight since you got back.”

“So, it’s not just me?” Gray wasn’t sure if he was relieved to realise that, or if his concern had just ratcheted up several notches. If it had been anyone else he might have dismissed Natsu’s distraction, as his attention wavered a the best of times, especially if he was bored, but this was Mira and Natsu had always made a point of giving her his attention after everything that had happened with Lisanna.

“I don’t know, but if you’re worried maybe you should take him to see Wendy or Porlyusica?” Gray hummed at the suggestions, knowing that neither was going to go over well with Natsu, but sorely tempted to suggest it, especially as Natsu seemed to have slumped against the table while they were talking. Wendy might have been the better option, but she was away visiting Chelia at the moment, which left Porlyusica and both Gray and Natsu were wary of disturbing her, although Gray would do it in a heartbeat if something was wrong with the Dragon-slayer.

“Thanks Mira, I’ll see if he will tell me what’s wrong first.”

“Good luck.” Gray grimaced, knowing that he was going to need it. Natsu had never been good at admitting when he was ill, which was why he had learned to look out for the signs, but there had been nothing obvious in Natsu’s behaviour. He had just been off. Distracted, and then lethargic and restless in turn, which could in part be put down to the fact that there were no jobs on the board that had interested them, leaving them with a few days of just chilling at the guild. _And yet…_

As he headed back towards Natsu and Happy, he took the time to study the Dragon-slayer. He looked normal apart from the fact that he was slumped against the table, head buried in his arms when usually he would be looking to start a fight. “Happy, Natsu,” he greeted as he reached them, trying to keep his voice even. Happy looked up at him, and apparently, he had realised that there was something off about the Dragon-slayer too because he was glancing at his partner with worried eyes, and Gray shook his head as the Exceed opened his mouth to say something. Not wanting Natsu to bolt out of there before he could get to the bottom of what was going. “Natsu?” He didn’t raise his voice, it wasn’t necessary with Natsu’s hearing but his boyfriend gave no hint of hearing him, and the concern that Gray had been nursing for days rose and he set the drinks down and circled around to Natsu’s side of the table.

“Okay, look at me,” he ordered, crouching down next to the Dragon-slayer and reaching out to rest a hand on Natsu’s shoulders, eyebrows rising at the heat coming off him. Natsu always felt warmer than a normal person, especially against his Ice Magic, but this was too hot even for the flame-brained idiot, and he was kicking himself for not pushing sooner when Natsu stirred and lifted his head just enough to peer at him with bleary eyes.

“Gray…?” He sounded uncertain, and Gray frowned, especially when Natsu’s gaze drifted away from him and around the guild, seemingly unable to focus on anything for more than a few seconds at a time. “I…where?” He asked finally, sounding as though the words were fighting him. Or as though he wasn’t sure what he wanted to ask, and the concern was twisting and turning to ice in the pit of his stomach as he searched for some sign that this was just a bad idea of joke, and seeing nothing but honest confusion in the Dragon-slayer’s eyes when they drifted back towards him. “Gray, I….” His voice was rising now, agitation bleeding through and Gray was caught by surprise when Natsu shot to his feet, sparks dancing around his hands as he slammed them down on the table. “Where are we?” 

Natsu wasn’t grinning, and there was no mischief in his eyes, which was always a give away when he was trying to mess with Gray. He was serious. No, he was frightened, Gray realised with a start, watching how Natsu’s eyes darted around, taking in everything and nothing at once. Whatever he was seeing, it wasn’t what was right in front of him.

“Natsu…” Gray murmured, voice as soothing as he could make it with the worry that was building into panic as the Dragon-slayer flinched at his voice. “It’s okay, you’re safe. We’re at the guild,” he continued, slowly pushing himself up, and gesturing for Happy to move back as more and more sparks started to gather around Natsu’s hands. “Easy, Natsu.” He took a cautious step forward, realising now that Natsu was trembling and listing to the side, as though it was taking everything, he had just to remain upright. _I should have done something sooner,_ he scolded himself even as he took another step.

It was only Natsu’s state that allowed him to dodge the blow that followed because it was clumsy and uncoordinated, and contained barely a fraction of the force that Gray was used to in their brawls, although he could have done without the flames that came too close to his face. “Natsu!” He was aware of silence stretching out behind them, and then Mira bless her, hissing at the others to get back and let Gray handled this. Even if the Ice Mage himself didn’t have an idea of how he was supposed to do that as he danced back as Natsu swung wildly at him again and stumbled. Praying that he wasn’t about to get set on fire, Gray darted back towards him, reaching out to catch him just as Natsu faltered and began to crumple.

His touch which Natsu always welcomed, was greeted with a panicked shout before the Dragon-slayer frantically tried to free himself, clawing at the Ice Mage’s arms and trying to throw himself forward and out of Gray’s arms. Mercifully, his flames had flickered and faded, whether because some part of Natsu had realised who was holding him, or because his focus had shifted. Gray suspected the latter because Natsu seemed deaf to his whispered reassurances and single-minded in his attempts to escape.

“DAMN IT FLAMEBRAIN STOP FIGHTING ME!” Gray hadn’t meant to raise his voice, but he was scared. Natsu was an inferno against his chest, a wild, flickering fire that was already fading at the edges, the struggles weakening, and at the shout the Dragon-slayer froze, cringing back against him, and Gray winced as he felt the tremors wracking his boyfriend. “Natsu,” he tried again now that Natsu wasn’t fighting him. “I know you’re scared, and I’m guessing you feel like hell about now, but you’re going to be okay.” There was a long pause, and he wasn’t sure if his words were going to be enough to break through whatever haze was gripping Natsu’s mind at the moment, but then shaky fingers curled around his arm, holding onto him as though he was the last real thing in the world.

“G-Gray…?” He sounded so confused and uncertain that Gray ached to hear it. After their fight during the war with Zeref, he had never wanted to hear that kind of doubt in his partner’s voice again, especially not concerning him. 

“Yeah, it’s me,” he was quick to reassure him, feeling Natsu’s breathing speeding up. “Are you going to let me help you?”

“I…” Natsu shook his head, but it didn’t seem to be in response to the question, but rather an attempt to ground himself and when he peeked at Gray over his shoulder a moment later, his eyes seemed a little clearer. “I…don’t know what’s going on,” Natsu admitted in a small voice, sounding just as confused before, but at least it was something that Gray could work with, especially as the Dragon-slayer leant into him, no longer trying to get away. 

“I think we need to go see Porlyusica,” Gray replied, leaning his head against Natsu’s when he saw the protest forming in his partner’s expression. “That’s not up for debate.” He released Natsu, waiting for a second to see if Natsu was going to bolt or try to swing for him, and when nothing happened, he moved to support the Dragon-slayer, doubting his ability to get to the prickly healer unaided at the moment.

“But…”

“If you say you’re fine I will punch you whether you're ill or not,” Gray cut him off, the threat appearing to stymy Natsu as the Dragon-slayer blinked at him, before glancing around, and Gray felt the tension that seeped back into his boyfriend’s body and braced himself as Natsu turned back to him, the lucidity fading again.

“Gray, I…”

“I know,” Gray murmured, not wanting to hear it again, pulling Natsu tight against his side. “It’s going to be okay, I’m going to take you to Porlyusica and we’ll find out what’s wrong and you’ll be back to normal before you know it.”

_ I hope. _


End file.
